1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of mounting clip assemblies for miniature electronic devices such as paging receivers. More particularly, this invention relates to the field of detachable or removable mounting clip assemblies which are readily interchangable or omitted from a paging receiver without causing user discomfort or sacrifice of asthetic appeal. Furthermore, the easy detachability results in improved repairability at reduced cost.
2. Background of the Invention
Mounting clips of various configurations have been used for a number of years in portable electronic devices such as paging receivers. One of the more conventional type is a spring loaded belt clip as shown in FIG. 1 which serves as an attaching mechanism allowing the user to rapidly and securily attach the pager or other electronic device to the user's belt, pocket or purse to make the device conviently accessible yet securely mounted.
An exemplary prior art belt clip is used in the Motorola Page Boy II.TM. pager which is shown in FIG. 1 in an exploded view. This pager includes a plastic housing frame 10, which serves as the primary housing for the internal electronic circuitry. A substantially U-shape housing cover 15 is made of metal and slides into slots 20 in the housing frame 10. An opening 25 at the top of the housing cover 15 allows access to controls which are mounted on housing frame 10. Metal housing cover 15 is also utilized as the paging receiver's antenna in the Motorola Page Boy II.TM..
On the rear surface of housing cover 15, a pair of tabs 30 are punched from holes 35 and bent outwardly at a right angle to the rear surface of housing cover 15. Each of these tabs 30 additionally has a circular hole 40 punched through them. The center of circular holes 40 lie along a substantially coaxial line.
A lanyard bracket 45 which is also somewhat U-shaped has a circular hole 50 on each side which is made to allign with circular holes 40 when lanyard bracket 45 is inserted through holes 35 from the inside of housing cover 15. On one end of layard bracket 45 is a lanyard mount 55 including a hole for attaching a lanyard when it is desirable to suspend the pager from a lanyard.
A belt clip style mounting clip 60, including a passage 65 running through it, is attached to the housing member 15 by means of a roll pin 70. A torsion type coil spring 75 is utilized to keep belt clip 60 in position so that the lower portion of clip 60 presses against housing member 15 thereby entrapping the user's belt, purse, etc.
When assembled, the roll pin passes through circular hole 40 to circular hole 50 into one side of passage 55, through the coil spring 75 and out the other end of passage 65 to the other circular hole 50 and the other circular hole 40. Primary support for the belt clip 60 and lanyard bracket 45 is provided by tabs 30 and roll pin 70. In order to open the belt clip, the user has simply to pull on the bottom of the belt clip away from housing cover 15, or push on the top of belt clip 60 toward the housing cover 15. The spring action of coil spring 75 normally urges the clip closed when pressure is released.
Although the assembly of FIG. 1 functions well in normal use, as technology allows for more miniaturization of paging receivers or similar electronic devices, the user may prefer to simply carry the paging receiver in his pocket without being burdened by what would then become the excess bulk of a mounting clip. When a clip is desired, the user of the prior art belt clip assembly has only on choice as to what belt clip assembly he prefers and that choice must be made at the time of purchase. Replacement of belt clip 60 with a different style is difficult requiring the service of a technician. If no clip at all is desired, the user is left with mounting tab 30 protruding from the cover of housing member 15 creating an annoying discontinuity in the pager's contour which could cause user discomfort, or damage to the user's clothing and is generally not asthetically pleasing.
A detachable mounting clip arrangement for a portable paging receiver or the like is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,481 to George Selinko and assigned to Motorola Inc. (the assignee of the present invention). In this invention, the clip arrangement includes a tapered base plate assembly designed to insert within a recess in the housing formed by two undercut sidewalls. The base plate is retained within these recesses by a ratchet-like serated section included on the housing surface which interacts with a resilient finger extending laterally from the base plate. The base plate itself supports a conventional pivotal mounting clip assembly similar to that shown in FIG. 1 of the present application.
While this prior art mounting clip arrangement meets the needs and objectives set forth the patent; the needs of the present invention (which include many of the objectives of Selinko's clip) extend beyond those objectives. The present mounting clip interacts with the housing in a manner which does not detract from the visual appearance of the pager if the belt clip assembly is removed. Furthermore, the belt clip assembly of the present invention adds a substantial amount of rigidity to the pager housing with improved ease of assembly and disassembly.